9ine : Chapter 2

Her sleep was shit that night, tossing and turning and fighting with the beaten up mattress for comfort. After several hours of restlessness she closed her eyes to the deep dark and slept dreamless. Her sleep like that of the dead, in a lot of ways she was already dead.
Mornings light drifted lazily through the leaves of the giant trees that surrounded Nines temporary home. The girth of the trees served some what as walls to his world, leaving only three or four foot gaps here and there around his camp. Nine had set up traps for up to a half a mile around his camp to keep human and bestial foes alike away from him.

He glanced over to see the boy still laying amid his blankets near to the long cold fire, a bruise and dried blood marred his other wise boyish face. Nine figured him for ten or eleven years old. It really did not matter, Nine doubted he would ever see the boy again. A slight rustle of the blankets informed Nine that the boy was waking.

Nine pulled him self to his feet and set about lighting the fire once again and began to prepare breakfast for the boy and himself. The boy sat up with a start and his head darted around soaking up his surroundings. His eyes fell upon Nine, a look of fear flashed in them as his young eyes looked over the cat man.
“ Well are you going to stare all day, or are you going to get off you’re ass and help with breakfast?” Nine hissed, uncomfortable under the boys scrutiny. The boy just nodded and got up to help Nine in what ever manner he could. A short while later Nine and the boy were sitting across the fire eating their breakfast made up of robins eggs and some strips of boars meat.

The boy stopped mid chew and stated “what are you?”, Nine looked up from his plate into the boys eyes more then a little anger burning in his own eyes. “ That is not a good way to start a conversation boy, did your parents not teach you anything?” The boy shrugged, “ I ain’t got no parents I’m an orphan, trying to get away from that damned church.”
Nine shook his head and continued to eat his food, not answering the boys question. The boy looked at Nine a little longer, “well do you at least got a name?” Nine groaned, “Nine, is my name, what is you’re name?” The boy shook his head. “ the priest, Ignorant prick, said that I do not deserve a name, they called me heathen due to my questionable nature.”

Nine sat his plate down on the cold ground, “well Heathen, if you are finished I will walk you to the gate of town.” Nine pulled his cloak about himself and looked at the boy impatiently. Heathen shook his head, “no, I won’t be going back there, can’t I stay with you mister?” Nine was shaking his head in the negative long before the words finished spilling from the youngling’s mouth.
“What use do I have for an orphan?” Nine stated flatly. “ Besides I am not the parenting type.” Nine walked around the camp fire and pulled the boy to his feet, “ lets get going I have things to attend to my self today.” The boy grumbled but readied himself to depart none the less.
The walk in the forest was brisk, and silent except for the occasional, “ don’t step there.” or a rough push or pull out of the way of some unseen trip cord or pit fall. Nine thought about what the boy had said, and in some strange manner felt a kin to his past. His path started to veer from town, the boy noted it but did not say anything.

Nine walked up to some foliage and pointed it out to the boy, “ do you know that plant?” he asked, Heathen shook his head. Nine began explaining it to him and what it’s uses ranged from. Their walk in the forest became the beginning of the boys training in forest living.
Many hours later they stepped back into Nines camp, “ you are going to have to gather some things from to woods to build a lean too so you do not have to sleep in the wind and rain.” Nine handed the boy a short sword he had garnered from a passerby he had helped. “ use this it is dull but it will get the job done, we will go for a hunt when you get back.” The boy nodded his head, but said nothing as he went in search of his query. Nine sat on a log he used as a seat, what the hell am I doing he thought to himself.
Nine knew somewhere deep down that this was a mistake, but he would let it ride out. Let the boy find his own path, and maybe in doing so Nine would find his own. For the moment though, Nine began preparing his bow and arrows and set about making one for Heathen to hunt with.
Dusk had come and gone and the night was deepening, Lauralin clicked her nails on the bar in frustration. He still has not come in, she thought to her self. The thought had crossed her mind to hire someone to take her into the forest to hunt him down, but she brushed that off as soon as she thought it. Just as likely to leave her there lost, or robbed, then take her to him.

The bar keeper, a friendly old man named Mark walked to her end of the counter, “ is there anything I can get for you lass.” She shook her head,” no thank you mark, has anyone seen this shadow I keep hearing murmurs about lately?” she questioned him. Mark shrugged, “comes and goes as he pleases, and all the better if you ask me.”

Lauralin nodded and stood to take her leave of the bar, she started for the steps but decided to head out into the night air instead. Unconsciously she fingered the rapiers holstered at her sides as she walked toward the gate of town. She did not know where she was going, but she knew strangely that if she wound up in trouble he would find her.

The night guard looked her up and down as she approached the gate. “State you’re business.” his gruff voice huffed out. Lauralin pointed toward the gate, “I would like to take a stroll if you do not mind.” The guard laughed a little, “Danger lurks in the night around here.” She looked coldly at him, “I know…” He shook his head but let her pass through the small door next to the larger commerce gate.

Lauralin stepped out into the darkness, the torches atop the keeps walls made the shadows ominous. She shivered slightly and pulled her cloak tighter about her self, and started walking away from the gates. The night was full of the sounds of creatures in all directions.